Northeast Indiana: Hundreds of factory jobs go unfilled because college grads "aren't a good fit"

Half of today's recent college grads cannot find work.

There is not a labor shortage or labor deficiency with the workforce in Indiana or anywhere else.  There is a perception problem between small business owners, the current objectives of human resource professionals and the actual workforce of available, qualified college graduates.

The CNN Money article, Northeast Indiana: Hundreds of factory jobs go unfilled, addresses the labor issue but I would love to get a definition of  "a good fit". What does a Northeastern Indiana factory worker have to know that a college graduate does not know or cannot be trained to do?

This problem of not wanting to hire college graduates is not new, however it has yet to be work shopped or have an in-service or two dedicated to the issue. Human resource professionals understand  the needs of workforce groups but especially in a small business setting, rules come from the top down and what the boss says goes. Often in a small business situation, the human resource point person may not have completed  accredited coursework within the human resources field.

The Small Business Association defines a small business as a manufacturing company that has 500 to 1500 employees and have annual receipts not exceeding $2.5 to $21.5 million. One of the companies profiled in this article has 115 employees.

Companies say they are "getting hundreds of applicants," but those applicants are "not the right fit" or unqualified. If an applicant cannot pass the drug test, it is understandable they cannot be hired. However someone has to qualify the phrase, "not the right fit."

Is it a good fit when the small business owner has to pay double overtime to existing workers because 10 percent of available slots go unfilled based on the fact that the workplace environment they provide, would not be suitable for a college graduate?

Maybe they should look at their workplace environment. A college grad would happily cut their teeth at any job and learn good work habits if those habits are in place and exist.

Just think of all of the bright minds and potential innovation a college graduate can bring to a business that wrong thinking is deflecting.

Twenty percent of adult Hoosiers 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or more, according to the 2000 Census. They, according to some manufacturing companies, would not be a good fit for employment. Is this a sensible thought?


Fort Wayne Indiana is in Allen County. Demographic information from 2010 states that of the 223,089 residents over the age of 25 in Allen County, 70,572 have a high school diploma or GED and 39,680 have a college degree. That means 17.78 percent in that county potentially will not be hired for manufacturing jobs because they are not a good fit.

Mishawaka is in St. Joseph County. Their 2010 demographic information states that of the 169,943 residents over the age of 25, 56,842 have a high school diploma or GED. Degree holders comprise 15.87 percent of the demographic but they are "not a good fit" either.



Almost 18 percent of the demographic in Allen County and nearly 16 percent in St. Joseph County are not a good fit for small business manufacturers in eastern Indiana because they are college graduates. Maybe these applicants are not a good fit because no one will hire them.


As far as unemployed people not accepting certain positions, if the factory job pays less than the unemployment benefit amount and the person can still pay their COBRA premium, it is simple economics. How many times is this scenario actually occurring?

Small business manufacturers need to rethink their hiring process and fill those slots with willing and able workers -- even if those workers are college graduates.
— blog post by Leslie Jones McCloud








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Stargaze at Indiana Dunes Aug 11, 2012

Gary has many natural habitats and greenspace.

Perseid Meteor Stargaze at Indiana Dunes State Park, Aug. 11  - Division of State Parks and Reservoirs

Guests are invited to watch the Perseid meteors blaze across the night sky over Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes State Park’s sixth annual Perseid Meteor Stargaze, Aug. 11.

Hosted by Indiana Dunes State Park Interpretive Services, the event runs from 8:30-11 p.m. CDT at the park’s beach pavilion. In addition to meteor watching, the Stargaze offers other astronomy-related activities and educational programs.
Night sky maps and Native American sky lore begin at 8:30 p.m. at the beach pavilion. After 9 p.m., the stars will begin to appear. Constellation talks will highlight the many star formations that can be viewed this time of year.
 A waning moon will offer unparalleled viewing of the night sky over Lake Michigan, and naturalists will have a telescope for deep sky viewing. All activities are free after the standard gate fee of $5 per in-state vehicle and $10 per out-of-state vehicle. Although a telescope is on-sight, a Celestron Travel Scope 70 Portable Telescope is handy.
The Perseid Meteor Stargaze is made possible with support from the Friends of Indiana Dunes. For more information, call(219) 926-1390. Indiana Dunes State Park is at 1600 North 25 E. Chesterton, 46304. (Thanks for the information Nora Glenn!)

NIPSCO Power outage update: Progress made

Repairs Expected to Extend through the Week-42,000 Remain Without Power Due to Powerful Storm, Severe Winds 

 Considered the most damaging storm event in last five years, additional crews from Missouri, Wisconsin and Ohio have been brought in to assist NIPSCO crews with repairing the damage from  the storm Tuesday morning. While some progress has been made, there are currently 42,000 customers down from 62,000 without power. In total, more than 77,000 customers were affected. NIPSCO will provide additional updates on their outage center website at NIPSCO.com.


In some areas, crews are still working to clear away debris and damage before repair work can begin.
NIPSCO continues to monitor for additional storm activity forecasted for the area.

Safety Tips


NIPSCO Suggests You Prepare Your Home For A Potential Storm-Related Outage

• Life support equipment – If someone in your family requires life support equipment, make prior arrangements for a back-up power supply.
• Stay informed – know what kind of weather is expected
• Clean drains – Remove any debris from storm drains around your home or yard.
• Automatic garage door – Learn how to open and close your door manually without power.
• Emergency kit – Prepare a simple emergency kit to include flash lights, first aid kit, supply of non-perishable food items, three-day supply of bottled water, and a cellular phone.

Stay Safe

Lightning, wind and fallen tree limbs can interrupt electric service. For your safety, please stay away from any downed power lines. Always presume the downed power line is live and extremely dangerous. DO NOT TOUCH THE LINES.

NIPSCO Press Release: Worst Storm in Five Years

67,000 Lost Power Due to Powerful Storm, Severe Winds - Repairs Expected to Extend through the Week --Most damaging storm event in last five years

A substantial number of broken poles and trees, branches and wires down across the Gary area have resulted from what initial assessments indicate is the largest storm this year and in recent years. Currently, 62,000 customers are without power.  Lake and Porter counties were hardest hit by the damaging winds and rain that crossed northern Indiana early this morning. An update on the restoration process is slated to occur by 2 p.m.

Assessment work is ongoing, but initial reports indicate that repair work will last over the next few days. More information on the extent of the damage and restoration times will be available after these assessments are complete.

NIPSCO’s restoration process begins with repairing large transmission and distribution lines that supply electricity to large numbers of customers in large geographic areas - including critical customers such as hospitals and emergency response. Repairs to other lines that serve smaller groups of customers can’t be made until the larger lines feeding electricity to those areas are repaired.

Read the complete press release at NIPSCO

If you are affected, cooling centers are located on the NIPSCO website. Safety tips and how to make an emergency kit information is also listed.

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